


Mother, Maiden, and Crone

by Nyxelestia



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Gen, Ghosts, Graduation, Wakes & Funerals, Writing Prompt, writing challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 02:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7666753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyxelestia/pseuds/Nyxelestia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles and his mother, his wife, and his daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No grave can hold my body down

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in about an hour for [this writing prompt challenge](http://writing-prompt-s.tumblr.com/post/148390749759/write-a-five-paragraph-story-in-which-the-story-is):
>
>> Write a five-paragraph story in which the story is coherent and compelling no matter what order you read the paragraphs.
> 
> Now, that's actually 120 possible different stories. I didn't go through and test out each one, but I did test out about ten different combinations, and hopefully this story still makes sense no matter what order you are reading them in.

“Hey, Mom,” Stiles greeted, setting down the flowers in front of the grave before taking a seat, himself. He traced the Claudia with a fingertip. “I’ve gotta ask, did you feel like this every time I grew up a little more? Because I don’t…” He paused to swallow around the lump in her throat. “She’s growing up so fast, Mom, and I don’t…I don’t know what to do.” Of course, he didn’t get an answer, and never would, but at least he got to ask the question. That was all he really came for, so he didn’t stay for much longer after.


	2. Any way to distract and sedate

Peeking in on his sleeping daughter, Stiles was still in denial about what his daughter would have to face tomorrow. He could’ve sworn that just yesterday, he and Lydia had been pouring over potential baby names, Lydia balancing a book on her eight-months-pregnant belly while Stiles made a spreadsheet on their laptop. “And look how we turned out,” Stiles murmured, slipping quietly into the dark bedroom. “All those stupid books and websites and you still just got named after a dead woman.” He took a deep breath, desperate not to cry and wake her up. “It’s a little creepy, but she was the most amazing woman I ever knew. There was no better way to honor her memory.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “She’d be so proud of you,” he whispered. He was wiping the tears away from his eyes as he slipped out the room and closed the door as softly as he could. She needed her sleep for tomorrow.


	3. She's the giggle at a funeral

Stiles thanked a god he no longer believed in that his father was still here to watch his daughter, because he would never have made it through Lydia’s funeral otherwise. He heard the rumblings of disapproval from those gathered here today, but he didn’t care. She was going to spend eternity in the cold, dark earth. They could damn well wait the twenty minutes it took for him stick the tiny, glow-in-the-dark stars on the inside of her coffin-lid. “There,” Stiles said, putting up the last sticker in the constellation he’d spent two nights researching to make sure the stars were placed exactly right. “Now you can tell everyone in the afterlife why a historian and an astrophysicist should never go star-gazing on their first date.” In an achingly familiar motion, he leaned down to kiss her forehead, and turned away. He still had their daughter to think about.


	4. 'Cause there's no better love

When his girl walked down the aisle, stepped onto the stage, and accepted her diploma, Stiles nearly blew out his throat cheering for her. During the party after the graduation ceremony, his voice was still a little husky when he shouted, “Lydia!” He waved frantically to get her attention from where she was posing with a selfie with some her classmates. Her eyes were filled with fondness even as she rolled them at her antics, coming over to greet him. With one hand on each shoulder, he said simply, “I wish your mom had been alive to see this.” She started crying, and despite all her friends being around to see their excessive displays of affection, she threw herself at him, wrapping his arms around Stiles. He did the same, holding her and letting her tears soak through his collar. He’d always be there for her.


	5. She's the angel of small death...

Stiles just wanted the best for his little family. But sometimes, life moved just a little too fast for him, and he got the worst nightmares imaginable. This sometimes meant waking up shouting and screaming, which was bad enough if it was just him waking up. But tonight, it wasn’t – at least, he didn’t think so. He wasn’t sure, anymore. All he knew was that after finally calming down, he was just drifting off to sleep when he saw Claudia’s ethereal form standing in the doorway, the moon lighting up her skin. “Just checking in on you,” she said. “Go back to sleep. You need your rest.” Stiles frowned, because she wasn’t supposed to be checking in on him like this – was she? “I’ll still be with you in the morning,” she added, smiling softly. “Just go to sleep.” Stiles nodded, closing his eyes. He’d never been able to say ‘no’ to her, anyway, and he wasn’t about to start now.


End file.
